Clara Sipprell facts for kids

Clara Sipprell (born October 31, 1885 – died December 27, 1975) was a talented photographer. She was born in Canada but lived most of her life in the United States. Clara became famous in the early 1900s for her beautiful landscape photos. She also took portraits of many well-known actors, artists, writers, and scientists. Her photograph New York City, Old and New was the first artwork by a female artist bought by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

About Clara Sipprell's Life

Her Early Years

Clara Estelle Sipprell was born in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada. This was on October 31, 1885. She was the sixth child and the only daughter of Francis and Fanny Crabbe Sipprell. Her father passed away before she was born. Her mother had to work hard in different housekeeping jobs to support the family. Because her mother had trouble finding steady work, Clara's older brothers lived with their grandparents for a while. This was about fifty miles from their home.

When her brothers were old enough, three of them moved to Buffalo, New York. Her brother Frank got a job helping a photographer. The brothers sent money home to their mother. They encouraged her to join them when she could. Before Clara was ten years old, she and her mother moved to Buffalo. She stayed in the United States for the rest of her life, except for her travels.

In 1902, Frank borrowed money from an older brother. He then opened the Sipprell Photography Studio in Buffalo. From the very beginning, Clara loved what happened at the studio. Soon, she started helping Frank as his apprentice. At sixteen, she left school and became a full-time assistant. For the next ten years, she learned all about photography in his studio. Clara later said her brother taught her everything she knew. She said he taught her by letting her learn from her own mistakes. This helped her never feel limited by photography.

In her early career, Clara took photos of landscapes around Buffalo. She learned many technical skills. She also tried different photography methods. These included bromoil, gum, carbon, and platinum prints. She also made a series of Autochrome color photos. She liked this method even after newer color films were invented.

Rochester, New York became a big center for photography. This was because of George Eastman and his Eastman Kodak Company. Clara joined the activities of the Buffalo Camera Club. Women could not be members at that time. But her brother Frank was a member, so she was allowed to join in. In 1910, she showed her first photos at the Camera Club. One of her photos won second prize in a portrait contest.

Even though she could not be a full member, Clara kept showing her photos. She displayed them in the Club's yearly exhibitions. In 1913, she won six prizes at the show. This was more than any of the Club's actual members. Her photos caught the eye of an important art critic, Sadakichi Hartmann. He wrote two very positive reviews of her work. His interest, along with her success, led to invitations. She was asked to speak at various photo clubs in New York City. Soon, she spent more time there than in Buffalo.

Her Growing Fame

In 1915, Clara Sipprell moved to New York City. She shared an apartment with Jessica Beers, a long-time family friend and teacher. The big city suited Clara's unique style. She enjoyed smoking cigars and pipes, driving fast cars, and wearing capes and interesting jewelry. A friend once said that Clara made her whole life a work of art.

Within a few months, Clara opened her own portrait studio. She quickly gained many clients because of her known artistic talent. For the next forty years, she photographed many famous people. These included artists, writers, dancers, and other cultural figures. Some of them were Alfred Stieglitz, Pearl S. Buck, Albert Einstein, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

As a portrait photographer, Clara wanted to show the true nature of each person. She was a traditional pictorialist. This meant she liked simple beauty and soft, gentle images. She used this same artistic style for all her photos. This included portraits, landscapes, and still life pictures.

In the late 1910s, Clara met Irina Khrabroff. Irina was a young Russian woman. She became Clara's close friend, travel partner, and later, her business manager. When they first met, Clara still lived with Jessica Beers. But when Jessica moved out in 1923, Irina moved in. Later that year, Irina married Feodor Cekich. The three of them lived together in the same apartment for many years.

In 1924, the three friends traveled to Europe. Clara took photos of the Adriatic Coast. Through Irina's connections, she also photographed people from the Moscow arts community. These connections later helped her photograph many Russian people living outside Russia. These included Countess Alexandra Tolstoy and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Two years later, Clara and Irina traveled to Yugoslavia again, without Irina's husband. Clara took another series of photos of the countryside and its people.

Throughout the 1920s, Clara kept showing her work and having it published. In 1928 and 1929, she had her first solo shows. These were at San Jose State Teachers College. She also continued her friendship and living arrangement with the Khrabroffs. This was even after they had a daughter in 1927. However, around 1932, some tension grew between Clara and her close friends. This was due to political differences regarding the government in Russia. The Khrabroffs supported the old Russian rulers. They felt Clara's continued connections with some who supported the new government were unacceptable. By 1935, the friendship ended. Clara began living on her own for the first time.

In 1932, her photograph New York City, Old and New made history. It was the first artwork by a female artist bought by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1937, Clara Sipprell moved to Manchester, Vermont. This was suggested by Vermont poets Walter Hard and Robert Frost. Soon after, she met Phyllis Reid Fenner (1899–1982). Phyllis was a writer, librarian, and editor of children's books. Phyllis was fourteen years younger than Clara. She soon became Clara's housemate and travel companion. This close relationship lasted for the final thirty-eight years of Clara's life. In the mid-1960s, they had an architect build them a house in Manchester. This house included the first darkroom Clara ever had in her own home.

Clara Sipprell passed away in April 1975. She was eighty-nine years old. Her ashes are buried near a rock in Manchester. A small bronze tablet is attached to the rock. On it are engraved her name, along with the names of Jessica Beers and Phyllis Fenner. This was according to Clara's wishes.

During her lifetime, Clara's work was shown in over 100 photography exhibitions worldwide. Large collections of her photographs are kept at the Amon Carter Museum and at Syracuse University.

Gallery

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  Decorative Study (1913)

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  Ivy and Old Glass (1922)

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  Sculptor Malvina Hoffman (1928)

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  Journalist Ida Minerva Tarbell (1940)

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  Children's writer Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1940)

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  Eleanor Roosevelt (1949)

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  NAACP leader Walter Francis White (c. 1950)